Less is more - conscious consumption changes the world

Today we live in a consumer society and unfortunately also in a throwaway society. The consequences of such a lifestyle are fatal and no longer sustainable. What can you personally do to counteract this negative process? Find out here!

Conscious consumption makes a big difference

Environmental protection... of course you would also like to do something about it. Do more. But how can this be implemented in everyday life? Because we all consume resources for our daily needs. Some more, some less. We eat and drink, drive cars and need clothes. And all of this is produced with varying degrees of industrialization. In turn, resources are consumed in the processing of the raw materials that are necessary for our livelihoods. And all the goods we need are packaged, cooled, stored, transported...

You guessed it, life is complicated. After all, we can't stop breathing and eating, and we should definitely wear something. Nobody has to completely give up the pleasures of life. It all depends on how you consume. Therefore: keep your eyes open when shopping, question your own standards from time to time and take a look behind the many "eco-labels".

How you can live more sustainably...

...you've already thought about this, otherwise you wouldn't have ended up here on the NIKIN blog. You've already started to ask yourself what you buy every day. Keep asking. There are two basic methods of living more sustainably:

• Consume less
• Questioning your own consumption in terms of ecological sustainability and social justice

Consume less

Consuming less...well, that's the way it is. If you believe the advertising, pretty much everything is now eco-friendly, and even completely light metal or plastic-packed disposable capsules for coffee and the like are given an eco-label. These are more or less successful advertising spins, also known as "greenwash". In other words: the product is given a green label, the consumer believes it, is happy and buys it. However, the product is not really sustainable. And consuming unrestrainedly for all it's worth is simply not an option. That is never, ever ecological. If you are offered exotic fruit out of season, packaged in plastic to boot and very cheap - that's delicious. But not sustainable. If you want to change something yourself, a little, well, not renunciation, but a change of lifestyle is in order. Treat yourself to fruit. In season. And if possible, buy it locally from the producer. This has two advantages: YOU know where the product comes from, and you support the producer. In this way, you are helping to preserve valuable old varieties of fruit, regional cheese specialties and local livestock species that would otherwise fall victim to the great standardization machinery of globally standardized cheap consumption. The bottom line: look at where your goods come from.

Question more

Questioning your own consumption a little can also be a good thing. Think about where the things you consume come from. Why is clothing so cheap? Who has to make sacrifices so that you can buy a T-shirt for five euros, maybe even less? Why is a new smartphone so affordable? What's inside the thing anyway? Where does it end up when you dispose of it? So: do you really need the latest model every year, or would you rather use what you have until it gives up the ghost?

And if you're already questioning, then at some point you'll come to ask yourself who actually benefits from all this consumption. Yourself? Or is it not rather the large corporations that make the world happy with affordable to cheap products?

Ask yourself what is really important

Remember that you can't buy the really important things in life. Once you start to "check" your own life for sustainability, you will almost automatically start to ask yourself whether it is worth it - slaving away every day for consumer goods. You may start to slow down your life: game nights instead of shopping, cooking with friends instead of fast food parties, bike rides instead of a new car.

Recycle instead of throwing away

Reusing raw materials as thoroughly as possible is a very important contribution to sustainability, including in consumption. After all, it is not only our consumption that creates problems, but also our waste. Recycling starts with shopping. Glass instead of plastic, paper or cardboard instead of cellophane. In larger cities, there are already stores where you can buy products such as pasta or pulses without packaging and weighed out. This is not a revolutionary concept, as it was common practice in the past. Even easier: going to the market. With a shopping net instead of a plastic bag.

Of course, waste cannot be completely avoided, but to the same extent that you change your living and shopping habits, you will notice that much less waste is produced. Of course, waste separation helps with what remains. It makes sense to recycle recyclable materials such as glass or metal. And if you can compost organic waste, you will benefit even more.

Live more consciously - enjoy more consciously

The best thing about the whole thing is that you will notice that you are living your life more consciously. Thinking about your own consumption habits changes the way you enjoy your food, for example, or value your free time. You are doing something good for the environment. And you are doing something good for yourself.